Island Life
Does the Isle of Lewis get snow?
It's January 2026 and as Uig on the Isle of Lewis had a beautiful blanket of powdery snow for several days this seems like an appropriate time to answer a frequently asked question. Does it snow on the Isle of Lewis? The answer is yes, but not very often.
A walk across the snow covered machair around Mangersta Beach - Sunday 4th January 2026.
Having lived in Uig, Isle of Lewis for over 28 years, I know that every winter there will be dustings of snow on the Uig Hills and there may be two or three days when our croft and even Mangersta Beach will turn white, but snow doesn’t tend to accumulate on lower ground for very long.
17th January 2024 - An artic looking Eye Peninsula, Isle of Lewis, viewed from the Loganair Stornoway Airport to Glasgow flight.
The infrequency of significant snowfall is due to the surrounding North Atlantic Ocean and the warming influence of the gulf stream. This microclimate shelters the Isle of Lewis from the harsher snowy conditions that often cover the Highlands of Scotland. However, when it does snow the island is transformed into a frozen land of exquisite beauty.
January 2010 the island froze and the snow on the Uig Hills and Mangersta Sea Cliffs glowed purple in the setting sunlight.
I can recall the times when we have had longer periods of snow thick enough for sledging or building snow sculptures by scrolling through family photos and the many land and seascape images I have taken over the years.
February 2001 - A successfully completed snow pyramid in Aird Uig.
February 2001 - La La the snow goat (Teletubbies were popular with preschoolers in Aird Uig at the time).
December 2009 - Mr Snowman driving a classic David Brown tractor on our croft in Mangersta.
January 2021 - a thin layer of snow covers Mangersta Beach.
March 2023 - rabbit tracks in the snow covered sand dunes at Mangersta Beach.
January 2023 - Huge North Atlantic waves break over the sea stacks at Mangersta Beach, while the sand has a frosting of snow and ice.
March 2023 - the daily dog walk to Mangersta Beach with Rubh Seilibhig white with snow.
March 2023 - Stac nan Sgarbh, the prominent sea stack off Mangersta Beach, even had snow patches for the cormorants to roost on.
4th January 2021 3pm - a glistening snow crust marks the high tide line at Mangersta Beach.
March 2012 - The Feannagan or Lazy Beds (post-medieval field systems) above Mangersta Beach stand out clearly in a thin layer of ice. These ridges and drainage furrows were used to grow potatoes, bere (a type of barley) and black oats.
December 2009 - a thick layer of snow makes the dykes of the prehistoric promontory enclosure on top of the Mangersta Sea Cliffs stand out clearly. As do the post-medieval field systems where the villagers grew their crops. I wonder what the island climate was like for these prehistoric villagers?
11th April 2021 The cliffs at the Mangersta Bothy had patches of ice covering the rocks and the snow covered the land from the summit of Mealaisbhal down to sea level.
January 2021 - “On the rocks”, the splashes from John Norgrove’s “Springwell” Sculpture, by the roadside, in Mangersta, form perfect ice cubes for an al fresco aperitif.
April 2021 brought the 'Sneachd beag nan uan" the "Small snow of the lambs" to the Shepherd's Huts at Mangersta Croft Holidays. The heavy snow covering melted quickly in strong sunlight and only lasted for a day. There is often a light dusting of snow on the hills in early April at the start of lambing season which is reflected in this Gaelic phrase. The Learn Gaelic website is a fantastic resource for learning the Scots Gaelic words, phrases and idioms about “sneachd” (Scots Gaelic for snow). There are useful sound clips to help with pronunciation - great fun if you are a Gaelic beginner like me!
28 April 2016 saw a dusting of snow on the Uig hills at lambing time.
The Red Shepherd’s Hut at Mangersta Croft Holidays looking unseasonably Christmassy in March 2023.
January 2024 - a light covering of snow and a beautiful Mangersta sunset.
It’s not an exact scientific record but my family photo albums tell me that the heaviest snowfalls tend to be in January or February with the occasional cold snap in March and early April. Personally I absolutely love the transformation in the landscape, the ethereal quality of the light in winter and long for at least a few days of icy cold weather every year.
If you would like to book a holiday on the Isle of Lewis in a potentially winter wonderland then the best odds are on the month of January. If you would prefer to visit in the warmer summer months then Mangersta Croft Holidays is open all year.
A walk across the snow covered machair around Mangersta Beach - Sunday 4th January 2026.
Having lived in Uig, Isle of Lewis for over 28 years, I know that every winter there will be dustings of snow on the Uig Hills and there may be two or three days when our croft and even Mangersta Beach will turn white, but snow doesn’t tend to accumulate on lower ground for very long.
17th January 2024 - An artic looking Eye Peninsula, Isle of Lewis, viewed from the Loganair Stornoway Airport to Glasgow flight.
The infrequency of significant snowfall is due to the surrounding North Atlantic Ocean and the warming influence of the gulf stream. This microclimate shelters the Isle of Lewis from the harsher snowy conditions that often cover the Highlands of Scotland. However, when it does snow the island is transformed into a frozen land of exquisite beauty.
January 2010 the island froze and the snow on the Uig Hills and Mangersta Sea Cliffs glowed purple in the setting sunlight.
I can recall the times when we have had longer periods of snow thick enough for sledging or building snow sculptures by scrolling through family photos and the many land and seascape images I have taken over the years.
February 2001 - A successfully completed snow pyramid in Aird Uig.
February 2001 - La La the snow goat (Teletubbies were popular with preschoolers in Aird Uig at the time).
December 2009 - Mr Snowman driving a classic David Brown tractor on our croft in Mangersta.
January 2021 - a thin layer of snow covers Mangersta Beach.
March 2023 - rabbit tracks in the snow covered sand dunes at Mangersta Beach.
January 2023 - Huge North Atlantic waves break over the sea stacks at Mangersta Beach, while the sand has a frosting of snow and ice.
March 2023 - the daily dog walk to Mangersta Beach with Rubh Seilibhig white with snow.
March 2023 - Stac nan Sgarbh, the prominent sea stack off Mangersta Beach, even had snow patches for the cormorants to roost on.
4th January 2021 3pm - a glistening snow crust marks the high tide line at Mangersta Beach.
March 2012 - The Feannagan or Lazy Beds (post-medieval field systems) above Mangersta Beach stand out clearly in a thin layer of ice. These ridges and drainage furrows were used to grow potatoes, bere (a type of barley) and black oats.
December 2009 - a thick layer of snow makes the dykes of the prehistoric promontory enclosure on top of the Mangersta Sea Cliffs stand out clearly. As do the post-medieval field systems where the villagers grew their crops. I wonder what the island climate was like for these prehistoric villagers?
11th April 2021 The cliffs at the Mangersta Bothy had patches of ice covering the rocks and the snow covered the land from the summit of Mealaisbhal down to sea level.
January 2021 - “On the rocks”, the splashes from John Norgrove’s “Springwell” Sculpture, by the roadside, in Mangersta, form perfect ice cubes for an al fresco aperitif.
April 2021 brought the 'Sneachd beag nan uan" the "Small snow of the lambs" to the Shepherd's Huts at Mangersta Croft Holidays. The heavy snow covering melted quickly in strong sunlight and only lasted for a day. There is often a light dusting of snow on the hills in early April at the start of lambing season which is reflected in this Gaelic phrase. The Learn Gaelic website is a fantastic resource for learning the Scots Gaelic words, phrases and idioms about “sneachd” (Scots Gaelic for snow). There are useful sound clips to help with pronunciation - great fun if you are a Gaelic beginner like me!
28 April 2016 saw a dusting of snow on the Uig hills at lambing time.
The Red Shepherd’s Hut at Mangersta Croft Holidays looking unseasonably Christmassy in March 2023.
January 2024 - a light covering of snow and a beautiful Mangersta sunset.
It’s not an exact scientific record but my family photo albums tell me that the heaviest snowfalls tend to be in January or February with the occasional cold snap in March and early April. Personally I absolutely love the transformation in the landscape, the ethereal quality of the light in winter and long for at least a few days of icy cold weather every year.
If you would like to book a holiday on the Isle of Lewis in a potentially winter wonderland then the best odds are on the month of January. If you would prefer to visit in the warmer summer months then Mangersta Croft Holidays is open all year.
Studio Custodian Exhibition
Artist and Crofter, Derek Scanlan is delighted to be exhibiting a new series of landscape paintings at Atelier 4D x Studio Custodian in Maastricht.
The paintings depict Derek’s herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle (a traditional Scottish breed), grazing on the in-bye fields and common grazings of Mangersta, a crofting township in Uig, Isle of Lewis, Scotland.
"As a crofter (peasant farmer) I am increasingly concerned about the industrialisation of farming. With removal of grazing animals from the landscape in the name of the environment, but primarily driven by big business, there appears to be little recognition of the environmental benefits of grazing animals on open pasture.
The tradition of keeping cattle and sheep on the hillsides of Scotland goes back thousands of years and has formed the soils, the flora and fauna and the communities of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
I am passionate about maintaining the ability to produce food locally and sustainably in a way that benefits nature, the animals and the communities that live there. My series of paintings attempts to reflect on the future challenges of crofting and small scale farming."
Please see Studio Custodian for further information and news on their European art and design exhibitions. The current pop-up exhibition can be viewed at:
Atelier 4D x Studio Custodian
Rechtstraat 65a | Maastricht , The Netherlands
Open every Saturday 11-17 December 2024
Also Sunday 15th December and Sunday 22 December 2024
and by appointment.
A folio of Derek Scanlan’s Scottish landscape paintings in pastels and oils can be viewed here.
The tradition of keeping cattle and sheep on the hillsides of Scotland goes back thousands of years and has formed the soils, the flora and fauna and the communities of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
I am passionate about maintaining the ability to produce food locally and sustainably in a way that benefits nature, the animals and the communities that live there. My series of paintings attempts to reflect on the future challenges of crofting and small scale farming."
Please see Studio Custodian for further information and news on their European art and design exhibitions. The current pop-up exhibition can be viewed at:
Atelier 4D x Studio Custodian
Rechtstraat 65a | Maastricht , The Netherlands
Open every Saturday 11-17 December 2024
Also Sunday 15th December and Sunday 22 December 2024
and by appointment.
A folio of Derek Scanlan’s Scottish landscape paintings in pastels and oils can be viewed here.
Book Mangersta Croft Holidays Direct for Best Price 
Did you know it is always cheaper and better value when you book a pod using our own online booking system? It supports a local island family business and saves on commission to global online travel agencies. If you book direct for 3 nights we offer a 10% discount on the total booking price. And to encourage longer stays in beautiful Uig in 2026 we are offering a fantastic 20% discount on stays of 4 (or more) nights!
With incredible island scenery on the doorstep it’s worth staying longer to explore Mangersta and the wider Uig area. Here are just 4 of many beautiful walks to enjoy in Uig, Isle of Lewis.
Reef Beach
The machair flowers are sublime and the shell sand sparkles in the sun. A beautiful spot for a dip in the sea and a long walk along the curving shoreline.
Suaineabhal
A fairly easy hill walk rewarded with beautiful aerial views of Uig Sands.
Mangersta Beach
Wild Lewis at her best. Loved by seascape photographers for the crashing waves.
Carnish Beach
This sheltered cove with turquoise waters is a lovely place to relax and chill.
Reef Beach
The machair flowers are sublime and the shell sand sparkles in the sun. A beautiful spot for a dip in the sea and a long walk along the curving shoreline.
Suaineabhal
A fairly easy hill walk rewarded with beautiful aerial views of Uig Sands.
Mangersta Beach
Wild Lewis at her best. Loved by seascape photographers for the crashing waves.
Carnish Beach
This sheltered cove with turquoise waters is a lovely place to relax and chill.
Sea Eagles
Sea Eagles filmed on Mangersta Common Grazings. The video gives an idea of their incredible size, particularly when compared to the size of a sheep. Take binoculars when out on a coastal walk to get the best views.
8 of the most amazing glamping locations in the UK
Totally chuffed to have Mangersta Croft Wigwams listed in this article by Active Traveller Magazine Particularly as it includes some fantastic glamorous camping sites from the ‘Sky Den’ in Northumberland, which we loved watching being designed and constructed on "George Clark’s Amazing Spaces" to a fab converted helicopter in Sussex. We’re in good company there!
How to tell Golden Eagles from Sea Eagles when bird watching in the Hebrides
Golden Eagles and Sea Eagles (also known as White-tailed Eagles) fly past on a fairly frequent basis here in Mangersta. Often joke that they are more like our garden birds, as I can’t say I’ve ever had the pleasure of spotting the Blue Tits and Chaffinchs, which I enjoyed seeing while growing up in urban Scotland. If you aren’t used to seeing them it can be tricky identifying the species of Eagle from the silhouette in the sky above….so after studying some bird books I came up with the image below to put in the Wigwams and Shepherd’s Hut as a little bird spotting tip for visitors. Also researched their Gaelic names, which are rather beautiful - Iolair Mara and Iolair Bhuidhe.
